The tinder fungus or hoof fungus, a perennial, hoof-shaped polypore that causes white rot, mainly in birch and beech. Its fibrous inner tissue is the main source of amadou, used for millennia as tinder, and Otzi the Iceman carried pieces of it.
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Habitat
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White rot of hardwoods, mostly birch in the north, beech further south and oak in the Mediterranean; also maple, cherry, poplar, willow, alder, hornbeam and other hardwoods, rarely conifers. It can live latently as an endophyte in living beech.
Distribution
Circumboreal: Europe, Asia, eastern North America, and northern and southern Africa. North American material may represent a separate lineage (see notes).
Characteristics
Fruit body: Perennial, typically hoof-shaped, 5-45 cm across and 2-25 cm thick, with broad concentric ridges and a blunt, rounded margin; can live up to about 30 years. Upper surface: Usually light brown or grey, ranging from silvery-white to nearly black. Pore surface: Cream when young, maturing to brown and darkening when handled; 2-3 pores per mm. Spores: Oblong-ellipsoid, 15-20 x 5-7 um. Flesh: Tough, with an acrid taste and slightly fruity smell. Key features: Large grey hoof-shaped bracket on birch or beech.
